Why Choose BCD's Preschool?
Thoughtful Leadership
Our Head of Preschool, Kath Courter, has spent over 25 years as an early childhood educator. She regularly shares her professional and personal wisdom with our preschool families through blog posts that are timely, supportive and thoughtful. Below is a recent email sent home by Kath.
Thinking about Tinkering...Intentional Teaching and Playful Learning
Growing up, my father spent a lot of time working in the garage. A sputtering lawnmower, a CB radio that was not picking up the local chatter, or always “that damn outboard-Evinrude!” The list of things that needed his attention was long. Still to this day, whenever I ask what he is up to, he says that he’s just tinkering…
Growing up, my father spent a lot of time working in the garage. A sputtering lawnmower, a CB radio that was not picking up the local chatter, or always “that damn outboard-Evinrude!” The list of things that needed his attention was long. Still to this day, whenever I ask what he is up to, he says that he’s just tinkering…
Gus seems to be hardwired with my dad’s propensity for investigating how things work. This summer he brought home a hunk-o-junk lawn mower that he found on a corner. When I gasped at the sight of it and yelled about how it was ruining my backyard feng-shui, I was met with, “But, mom, the sign said it was FREE! And, I’m going take it apart and put it back together so I can learn how the engine works. Once it’s running, I’ll use it to earn money mowing lawns.” (He clearly has my number.)
Tinkering, or the process of figuring out how things work, is a foundation of learning and is based in the same thinking processes that scientists and engineers use as they make plans and test ideas to solve problems.
It is also something that we intentionally promote. We believe that Tinkering is important. It helps children develop an understanding of how things are made and allows for unstructured time to explore and test ideas. Plus, it is at the heart of innovation and invention.
Our classrooms are full of open-ended materials (often referred to as loose parts) that can be used in different ways. According to Cate Heroman, in her book Making and Tinkering with STEM, when children have opportunities to tinker, “they learn how things work, how to take things apart and how to put them back together.”
Tinkering also teaches children to be patient… Heroman goes on to say that, “Tinkering takes time and involves the process of iteration – when something does not work, children are encouraged to try a different strategy, use a different material, or test a different tool.”
We’re fortunate to have a whole slew of loose parts and pieces for classroom exploration. Really, the possibilities are endless. However, this type of learning does not need to be limited to school. Given the opportunity, I am sure your child would happily engage for hours with the materials that are in your recycling bin and junk drawer. I encourage you to look with new eyes at the kinds of materials you might have around your home, such as toilet paper and paper towel tubes, cardboard boxes, egg cartons, tape, clothes pins, measuring tapes, dowels, yarn, straws, and scissors… Also look with an of eye of possibility at broken stereo “guts” (with the cord cut off), puzzles with missing pieces, random nuts and bolts, PVC pipe, unused boards, materials bought for projects that never materialized, the stuff that’s been sitting in the corner of your garage for months… You get the picture.
This past year, our preschool team requested that some of the funds raised at our annual gala be used to purchase additional open-ended exploratory materials. We were fortunate to be able to purchase several items from Kodo Kids, including a large magnetic wall that includes PVC tubes, ramps, rubber tubbing, and other materials that can be combined and manipulated as the children explore, learn, problem solve, and discover.
Perhaps your child isn’t ready for lawn mower repair (I fully admit that I’m not), but I encourage you to open your heart and mind to thinking about tinkering. The possibilities are endless! For inspiration, I’ve included a link to a YouTube video that digs into some of Heroman’s, Making and Tinkering with STEM ideas. Have fun!
With gratitude,
-Kath
It is also something that we intentionally promote. We believe that Tinkering is important. It helps children develop an understanding of how things are made and allows for unstructured time to explore and test ideas. Plus, it is at the heart of innovation and invention.
Our classrooms are full of open-ended materials (often referred to as loose parts) that can be used in different ways. According to Cate Heroman, in her book Making and Tinkering with STEM, when children have opportunities to tinker, “they learn how things work, how to take things apart and how to put them back together.”
Tinkering also teaches children to be patient… Heroman goes on to say that, “Tinkering takes time and involves the process of iteration – when something does not work, children are encouraged to try a different strategy, use a different material, or test a different tool.”
We’re fortunate to have a whole slew of loose parts and pieces for classroom exploration. Really, the possibilities are endless. However, this type of learning does not need to be limited to school. Given the opportunity, I am sure your child would happily engage for hours with the materials that are in your recycling bin and junk drawer. I encourage you to look with new eyes at the kinds of materials you might have around your home, such as toilet paper and paper towel tubes, cardboard boxes, egg cartons, tape, clothes pins, measuring tapes, dowels, yarn, straws, and scissors… Also look with an of eye of possibility at broken stereo “guts” (with the cord cut off), puzzles with missing pieces, random nuts and bolts, PVC pipe, unused boards, materials bought for projects that never materialized, the stuff that’s been sitting in the corner of your garage for months… You get the picture.
This past year, our preschool team requested that some of the funds raised at our annual gala be used to purchase additional open-ended exploratory materials. We were fortunate to be able to purchase several items from Kodo Kids, including a large magnetic wall that includes PVC tubes, ramps, rubber tubbing, and other materials that can be combined and manipulated as the children explore, learn, problem solve, and discover.
Perhaps your child isn’t ready for lawn mower repair (I fully admit that I’m not), but I encourage you to open your heart and mind to thinking about tinkering. The possibilities are endless! For inspiration, I’ve included a link to a YouTube video that digs into some of Heroman’s, Making and Tinkering with STEM ideas. Have fun!
With gratitude,
-Kath
Intentional Teaching
Our teachers are experts at what they do. Below is a sample classroom newsletter that would be sent home from your child's teacher. As you can see, the content doesn't just cover what the children are doing, but WHY they are doing it, what they are learning, and how they are developing.
Mrs. Hawkes' Newsletter
October 8, 2020
"SCIENTISTS HAVE DISCOVERED THAT IT TAKES APPROXIMATELY 400 REPETITIONS TO CREATE A NEW SYNAPSE IN THE BRAIN, UNLESS IT IS DONE IN PLAY, IN WHICH CASE IT ONLY TAKES 10-20 REPETITIONS." ~KARYN PURVIS
Dear Parents,
We are so looking forward to meeting with you for conferences this week. It is always a highlight to connect with you after we have had some time to get to know your child, and they have had a chance to get to know us. We can compare notes on what you hear about us and what we hear about you. 😊
Some recent skills we have been working on in our class are below. Please feel free to ask any questions about our reasons behind them or how we introduce them to the students.
Partner pairing - We set the children up with a partner for outside time to break up “habits” of who your child may play with on a regular basis. It allows them to play with a variety of friends in a one-on-one situation. We find at this Pre-K level that they have habits that later may be referred to as cliques. This pairing seems to eliminate that or at least build an awareness of playing with a variety of friends. The feedback that we have received from your children on this has been overwhelmingly positive.
Perseverance - We have enjoyed reading, The Little Engine that Could’ where perseverance of the little blue engine is what got her over the hill even though she wasn’t sure she could do it since she had never done this before. We will refer to this motto and story all through the year… “I think I can, I think I can…” It helps bring a smile when we are reminding our students of this important message about not giving up when things get tough, and we may feel like we want to give up.
Dressing for the elements - We are hoping to continue eating snack/lunch outside as long as possible. We are encouraging your children to make sure they dress appropriately for sitting on the cold stone in the morning during snack, and later in the day, for lunch. We want them to feel empowered to put on/take off the layers they need and take care of their own body. You would be impressed at how well they have their routines down by now. They take care of their own snack/water/lunch/jackets all on their own. Do not be afraid to set similar expectations for them at home. They truly feel a sense of confidence when they do these things on their own.
Sprinkling in skills all day long - We sprinkle skills in all day long, rather than sitting for long periods of time. We find this far more effective and age appropriate. We integrate academic skills throughout the day. We do this organically and in context with what we are focused on and learning at the time. We are also mindful of their interest level. Most of our “work” is 3-D and not in the form of worksheets. We find this inspiring and far more impactful than worksheets, which are one dimensional and extremely limiting in outcome.
Social/Emotional skills we are working on:
- First time listening (following the directions the first time given)
- Greeting teachers each morning by name (“good morning Ms. Carucci”)
- Looking into the eye of a friend/teacher when greeting them
- Using “I statements” when challenged by a friend, for example, “I felt mad when you took my shovel”
- Showing respect for ALL our teachers by listening and following their directions. (specialists, substitutes, assistants, student teachers, etc.)
We SO appreciate some of the feedback that some of you have shared in how you are hearing or seeing some of this at home.
Academic skills we are working on that you may be hearing about from your child:
- Writing their own name and saying the name of the letters as they write- using proper grip
- Having fun touching and counting items to 10 (one-to-one counting)
- Looking for patterns in clothing, carpets, curtains, fabrics, in nature, days of the week, months of the year etc…
- Rhyming games/books- having fun with things that rhyme, (same ending sound), for example: bat-cat, shell-bell. Even silly or made up words are fun. They love when we rhyme something silly with their name. Seuss was the original master of engaging children with rhyming words.
The more children can engage in learning with all their senses, the deeper their learning will be for them. Active learning is far more powerful and developmentally appropriate than flat/worksheet activities. Research has taught us that children learn in context, in playful and meaningful ways. Children do not learn in a linear pattern, from A-Z, they learn at their own pace when letters become meaningful to them. Research has proven that children learn letters and retain letter names much more quickly when letter names are not taught in isolation. Hence, we are not teaching a letter of the week, we are incorporating letters organically as we grow and learn.
We are looking forward to connecting with you!
Best,
Janet and Ciara
Social-Emotional focus
We understand that for most preschool students, school is there first foray into group socialization outside of family and close friends. So much of what we do 'in school' is framed by our social-emotional focus. We employ Love and Logic basics into our daily classroom management and at BCD, it does just stop at preschool, the curriculum spirals up through to our middle school. Our commitment to creating a school-wide environment where students can learn to be kind, compassionate and their best selves is a foundational element.
Boulder Country Day School 4820 Nautilus Court North • Boulder, Colorado 80301 • Phone - 303.527.4931 • info@bouldercountryday.org
Boulder Country Day School is a leading private school serving students 2 ½ years old - 8th grade. In partnership with our outstanding faculty and committed families, we uphold the highest standard for our balanced educational experience. Through small class sizes and innovative engagement in a supportive environment, students at BCD learn to explore their strengths and apply them to the world. Guided by our values, we believe the empowered minds that graduate from BCD will be the ones to ignite global change.
